Cotton fabric



application, Ser. No.,

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGES nnnnannm, or WATTWIL, swrrzmm.

COTTON FABRIC.

Ho Drawing.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedsept, 27,1921;

, Application filed March 18, 1921. Serial No. 453,489.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L,1313.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonens HEBERLEIN, a citizen of the Swiss Republic,and a resident of WVattwil, Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Cotton Fabrics, (whichimprovements are described in the following filed applications-i. e.,German application, Ser. No. H. 64,376, filed Nov.. 20, 1913, Patent No.280,134, granted Nov. 4, 1914; French application, Ser. No. 67,013,filed Feb. 19, 1914, Patent No. 468,642,

ranted Apr. 29, 1914; French application,

er. No. 8,962, filed Nov. 30, 1915, patent of addition No. 20,149,granted July 22, 1916;

British application, Ser. No. 13,129 of 1914,

filed May 28, 1914, Patent No. 13,129 of 1914, granted as of Nov. 20,1913; Italian (have none,) filed June 9, 1914, Patent No. 143,796,granted Jan. 11, 1915; Italian application filed Feb.

10, 1916, patent of addition No. 152,764,

granted Feb. 28, 1921; Bel ian application, Ser. No. 219,478, filed une19, 1914, Patent No. 268,537, granted June 30, 1914; Austrianapplication, filed May 29, 1914, Patent No. 70,004, granted June 21,1915; German application, Ser. No. H. 68,470, filed Ma 19, 1915, PatentNo. 295,816, ranted ec. 18, 1916; French application,

er. No. 83,050, filed Apr. 21, 1916, Patent No. 481,561, granted Sept.23, 1916; British application, Ser. No. 6,218 of 1916, filed May 1,1916, Patent No. 100,483, granted as of May 19, 1915; Belgianapplication,

Ser. No. 225,208, filed June 24, 1919, Patent No. 280,937, not yetissued; Italian plication, filed May 4, 1916, Patent 0. 154,095, grantedJune 5, 1916; Austrian application, filed Apr. 29, 1916, Patent No.81,367, granted Sep. 25, 1920,) of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to cotton fabrics, and the object of the inventionis the provision of new fabrics of pleasing and novel appearance oreffects.

tion will be more particularly pointed out I in the appended claims.

Since the fabric that isthe subject of thls invention is produced bychemically processing-or treating cotton fabric so as to chemicallystructurally change the same in such manner as to produce these noveleffects, it may facilitate a better understandmg of the invention if Ifirst describe my process by which the fabric may be made, and also thepreviously known or suggested chemical treatment of cotton fabric tochemically and structurally change its fibers.

A method of producing pattern effects upon cotton fabric is known (inthe sense that it has been suggested) wherein concentrated sulfuric acidof from 45 to B. (which, as is known, serves to impart a parchmentizingaction upon cellulose) is printed upon the fabric, which, after thisaction has taken place for a few seconds, is washed with water, or inwhich a resist is printed upon the fabric, after'which the latter ispassed for a few seconds through sulfuric acid, and finally washed. Bythis means those parts where the sulfuric acid acts upon the fibers,that is to say, those parts at which the archmentizing process takesplace, become t inner, and more transparent, while those parts whichhave not been acted upon by the sulfuric acid or have been reserved,stand out as a pattern by reason of their less transparent qualitygenerally understood, nor in the sense that fabric is renderedtransparent according to my proceses to be hereinafter described, nor inthe sensethat that term is used in connection with the fabric hereinclaimed. It is also well known that when ordinary cotton fabric istreated as heretofore suggested the fibers do not become bright givingto the fabric a smooth, finished appearance or sheen, but on thecontrary the fibers are only so altered as to give simply a dull, hard,translucent appearance to the fabric, which is rough and of anunfinished appearance. in short, the effect or appearance of the fabricmade according to the previously suggested process is not a pleasing oneand the fabric is too crushable to be useful for the purposes for whichcotton goods of pleasing appearance are utilized.

Now i have discovered that much more distinctive efiects which areornamental can be obtained by utilizing this previously suggestedprocess on mercerized cotton abric, or fabric made of mercerized'cotton, and by using sulfuric acid of above 50% B. g. e., notsubstantially less than/51 B.).

y mercerizing the fibers and also treatin them with sulfuric acid ofabove 504, Be.

I obtain a novel fabric having enhanced effects heretofore unknown. Thisis to be explained by the fact that the chemical altera-tion whichcotton fibers undergo on being mercerized makes them more adaptable orsusceptible to reaction, in consequence whereof a greater transparencyis obtained in those parts of the fabric treated with sulfuric acid ofover 50% B, than is the case with cotton fabric not mercerized.

It is a curious fact that in the treatment of mercerized cotton fabricswith sulfuric acid, the so-called parchmentizing action (but which inreality in the case of my herein recited processes produces a truetransparent effect) only results when the concen tration of the acid isin excess of 50-} B.

As the so-called parchmentized parts of the mercerized cotton fabricpossess an exceedingly great affinity for many dyes, and upon being dyedcolor much darker than the remainin portions of the fabric, the effectproduce on the fabric by the processes can be considerably heightened bythe subsequent dyeing of the fabric.

It is a characteristic of cotton fabric treated according to my abovedescribed process, that it is really quite transparent, giving theeffect or appearance of a bi h grade transparent organdie, and that t efibers are bright and clean, and 've to the fabric a bright or sheeneffect, an a smooth, finished a pearance in contrast to the dull, rough,un nished truly parchmentized effect which is characteristic of cottonfabrics produced by simply treating the ordina cotton fabric withsulfuric acid, as ha been known prior to my above set forth process. Itis also a characteristic of fabrics treated according to my abovedescribed process,

nscascs invention and the other parts remain as unaltered mercerizedfabric, so as to produce pattern effects, of course the mercerized partsremaining untreated retain the physical characteristics of mercerizedcotton 2. e., are soft, glossy and opaque, and show up in strikingmanner in contrast to the transparent portions. r

I have also found that a still more en hanced transparency of the cottonfabric can be obtained by an improved rocess, according to whichsulfuric acid 0' over 50% B. and concentrated caustic alkali are causedto act upon cotton fabric several times alternately, the sulfuric acidbein always allowed to act only for a few secon s.

In order to obtain this greater or enhanced transparency as comparedwith that ohtaine by my first mentioned process, it is necessary thatone of the two agencies be applied-at least twice with an intermediatetreatment of the other, as for example, caustic soda-sulfuricacidcaustic soda, or vice versa. In between the reactions the goods mustbe well washed, and subsequently dried.

If cotton fabric treated with concentrated caustic soda is subjected forthe second time to the same treatment no further change takes place inthe same. That is, the second caustic treatment remains without effecton the fabric. Cotton fabric behaves in similar manner toward repeatedtreatments with concentrated sulfuric acid. If, however, the cottonfabric that has been mercerized has been subsequently exposed'to theaction'of of concentrated sulfuric acid, and then to caustic soda, thecaustic soda reacts anew upon the fabric and efiects a further change,The same is true if the first treatment is with the concentratedsulfuric acid, and then the next treatment with caustic soda and anothertreatment with sulfuric acid. In each such alternate treatment the acidor alkali, as the case ma be, will again worlr or be effective upon t efibers of the fabric to further alter them. The alternate treat mentwith acid and alkali can be several times repeated.

It is evident that varied degrees of transparency are obtained accordingto the number of manipulations or alternate treatments. Modifications inthe quality of the fabric can also be obtained by either stretching thesame more or less during the treatment, or by having the same more orless shrunk in the lon itudinal and cross directions.

Final y transparent pattern effects may be obtained by printing thealkali or the acid at one or more of the operations only upon articularportions of the fabric, or by printing on particular portions of thefabric a resist (for instance gum thickening) either at the commencementof the treatment or between the first and the second or between twosuccessive operations, the said resist preventing a further reaction ofthe alkali or the acid. For example it will be obvious from the abovethat if the aforesaid pattern efiectof glossy mercerized portions and oftransparent portions is to be produced, the fabric can be treated withalkali all over, then a resist of the design put on and then thebackground is treated with acid and then with alkali.

The fabric herein claimed may be made by either of the above processes,and it is a characteristic of the fabric made by either process that theeffects produced are permanent, 2'. 6., will withstand repeatedlaundry-' in llaving thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cottonfabric having pattern effects, a. e., background portions anddesign portions, and in which one has the physical characteristic ofmercerized fabric, i. e., soft and glossy, and the other has thephysical characteristic of organdie, the contrast between said portionsbeing such as to clearly define the desired pattern.

2. A fabric having pattern effects, 6., background portions and designportions extending through its thickness so as to appearidentically andin register on both surfaces, and in which the portions of one have thephysical characteristic of mercerized fabric, 2'. 0., soft and glossy,and the portions of the other have the physical characteristic of beingstifier but flexible and more transand in which the other has markedlydifferent physical characteristics and has had its fibers undergo adifferent chemical change 2'. e., background portions and designporcotton fabric having pattern efiects, Y I

tions, and in which one has certain physical characteristics due to itsfibers having undergone a chemical change from ordinary cotton, and inwhich the other has markedly different physical characteristics due toits fibers having undergone a different chemical change resulting in itsbeing rendered harsher and more transparent than said first mentionedportions, the difierences in characteristics between said portions beingsuch as to clearly define the pattern, and being permanent, i. e.,capable of withstanding repeated laundrying without materially al-.tering said contrasts.

5. A cotton fabric, having pattern efiects, i. (2., background portionsand design portions, and in which one has the physical characteristicsof mercerized fabric, 5. e., soft and glossy, and the other has thephysical characteristic of being more transparent, the contrast betweensaid portions being such as to clearly define the desired pattern.

6. A mercerized fabric having pattern effects, '5. 6., back roundportions and design portions, an in which one has the physicalcharacteristics of mercerized fabric, i. e., soft and glossy, and theother has the physical characteristic of being harsher and moretransparent, the contrast between said portions being such as to clearlydefine the desired pattern, such contrasts being due to the structuraldifferences in the fibers of the respective portions, which differences'arepermanent, z. 6., will not be eliminated by repeated laundrying.

7. cotton fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered fromordinary cotton, characterized by the fact that it is substantiallytransparent and resilient, as distinguished from a dull translucent ortruly parchmentized fabric.

8. A cotton been chemically altered from ordinary cotton, characterizedby the fact that it is substantially transparent with bright fibersgiving a sheen or brightness to the fabric, as distinguished from atranslucent or truly parchmentized fabric with dull fibers .giving arough unfinished appearance.

9. A cotton fabric fibers of which have fabric fibers of which have beenchemically altered to render the fabric'thinner, finer and moretransparent than would be possible by chemical treatment with acid onlyor by alkali only, and which transparency is permanent, z'. e., will notbe eliminated by repeated laundrying.

10. A cotton fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered toproduce a permanent organdie effect, 23. e., an or andie which willwithstand repeated laun r ing without material alteration as to sti nessand transparency, and in which the trans- 5 parency is materiallygreater than can be produced by treatment with an acid only or with analkali only.

11. A. mercerized fabric fibers of which have been chemically altered torender the it fabric thinner and more transparent.

12. A mercerized fabric in which its fibers have been altered to producea permanent organdie effect, 5. e.-, an organdie which will withstandrepeated laundrying without material alteration as to stiffness andtrans- 15 parency.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGES HEBERLEIN.

